FUNDACIÓN DIETA MEDITERRÁNEA

Alcoholic beverages

CAVA

Historical aspects

Pierre Perignon was born in 1638, abbot of Hautvilliers from 1668 until his death in 1715. Don Perignon is the key man in the future of champagne. It is said that he was blind and that by just trying a grape he knew which vineyard it came from. He decided to change the organization of vintages to achieve a completely white wine, causing a revolution in the form of harvest. Certainly his contribution to making champagne a luxury wine is thanks to his vintage standards and his idea of developing payments separately.

In the nineteenth century another key figure appeared: the wide Clicquot. With her appeared the techniques of disgorgement and removal. Since 1852 champagne was extended worldwide, with imperial Russia being the most important customer.

The two World Wars caused severe damage in the cultivation areas, especially in Reims during the WWI.

In 1872, Champagne was “born” in Catalonia, which later became known as Cava. Catalonia is the leading producer in the Iberian Peninsula and even exports worldwide. In recent years, champagne has established itself as the drink of celebrations and luxury.

Nutritional aspects

Sparkling wines (Cava) are characterized by carbon dioxide from the second fermentation.

The quality depends on the selection of good grapes. Depending on the grams of sugar per liter, cavas can be classified as:

Brut (contains no liquor issue), dry, semidy, semisweet and sweet. Gran Reserva is the term used to indicate that the second fermentation has lasted at least 30 months.

The composition of cava is similar to other wines: the major component is water, followed by alcohol and a series of minor compounds such as organic acids, phenolic compounds, etc.

The consumption of sparkling wine can be made only by adults and in moderation.

WINE

Historical aspects

The history of wine is as old as mankind. Wine has had a distinctive marking to civilizations and peoples who have managed to produce it and appreciate it.

Prehistoric man certainly knew how to make wine, and paleontologists have found fossils which appear traces of pressed grapes. The earliest human writings, including cuneiform clay tablets of Babylon, or the ancient Egyptian papyri contain numerous references to the fermented fruit of the vine.

Once of the best known strains in Pharaonic times was Kankomet was grown in the vineyards of Ramses III (1198-1167 BC). Wine is mentioned over 200 times in the Bible, and being chosen by Jesus as important part of the fundamental ritual of Christian worship and reflects the extraordinary important the Jewish people of that time had for wine.

Until the nineteenth century, most wines consumed of the year were always due to the difficulties of conservation. With Pasteur can be said modern oenology was also born.

Nutritional aspects

Moderate consumption of wine is a feature in the diet of the countries of the Mediterranean basin. Not only the type of alcohol consumed but the manner of consuming it (very different from how it is consumed in Northern European countries) can act as a protector of coronary disease.

Wine is on the family table in a normal way, and no wonder it is tried at an early age. The pattern of alcohol consumption in Europe is not so tied to family environment and weekend over-consumption is most common.

The role of wine in the Mediterranean Diet began to be studied from what was called the “French paradox”. Mortality from coronary disease was not the same for a French person in Toulouse compared to an American in Standford (California). In southern France the death rate was much lower and it was observed that the consumption of wine had a role in the relationship.

Although it is difficult to recommend alcohol consumption knowing the damaging effects it has when consumed in excessive quantities, there are numerous studies linking moderate wine consumption with the prevention of coronary heart disease and dementia, among others.

BEER

Historical aspects

Through hieroglyphics and other evidence, historians have traced the origins of beer to the old Elamite, Egyptian and Sumerian people. The oldest registration of brewing is 6,000 years old. It is said that the Sumerians discovered the fermentation process by chance. No one knows exactly how it happened.

After Egypt, the Greeks and Romans continued brewing. Pliny the Elder reported the popularity of beer in the Mediterranean area before wine. In Rome, wine became the drink of Bacchus. Beer was produced only in areas outside the Roman Empire where wine was difficult to obtain.

Nutritional aspects

Beer is a good source of vitamin, minerals and natural antioxidants. Occasional moderate consumption by adults may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Table of Food Consumption

→ go to the Food Guide Pyramid